Stephen Harper has no reason to quit while he’s ahead

[Locutus]

They’ll be right eventually. Even as 2013 ended in a sighing consensus that Stephen Harper’s resignation is probably not imminent after all, a few political millenarians continued to insist—in the face of increasingly flat personal denials—that the Prime Minister is sick of the big job and ready to repair to a little house with a white picket fence. The latest example comes from Charlie Smith of the Georgia Straight, who observes that Harper has a past as a “quitter.” A quarter-century ago, you see, he quit Progressive Conservative staff work to become an opposition MP, then quit that job to head a think tank, then quit again to become a party leader.

In case it needs pointing out, the obvious problem with this interpretation is that Harper “quit” worse jobs for better ones pretty much every time. This sort of thing is more typically characterized as ambition than cowardice. But that’s the upside-down analysis Stephen Harper’s enigmatic character invites. More serious commentators spent 2013 playing similar games, on no better evidence. Harper was supposed to retire in the spring, then the summer, then for sure in the fall; based on my understanding of Last Days cults, I expect someone to claim any minute now that Harper actually has already retired in some nuanced, invisible way.


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Stephen Harper has no reason to quit while he’s ahead - Blog Central, Colby Cosh, Editor's Picks - Macleans.ca

 

[tay]

It looks as though Stephen Harper won't find much love when he travels to Mexico for the upcoming North American leaders' summit.




American officials have already bluntly warned Harper not to pester Obama over the Keystone XL pipeline. It was a pretty embarrassing putdown;

The word, delivered by senior Obama officials, is "don't call us, we'll call you" when there's anything to discuss about the Keystone XL pipeline.




White House to PM: You can try asking about Keystone, don't expect much of an answer

Now word is getting out that Harper might get the cold shoulder from Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto over the Harper government's decision not to life the visa requirement for Mexican visitors to Canada.




Stephen Harper’s Mexico trip likely to be ‘unmitigated disaster’: Analyst | Toronto Star


Poor old Steve Harper. The Euros think he's garbage. They know bullies when they seem them. South Americans aren't crazy about Beelzebub either. He's not their cup of tea. He's scoring no points with the Muslim world or the U.N. General Assembly for that matter.

Harper's world is shrinking fast. What's left? Oh yeah, Beijing and Tel Aviv. He's always got the Politburo except every time he gets together with them he comes back unable to remember who took his pants. If all else fails, there's Harper's BFF, Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu.

So if the political climate gets too chilly in Mexico, Steve might want to hop a flight to Israel.

 

[taxslave]

Obummer is going to be some upset(well maybe not) when he finds out that it is his fault no more Canadian oil and other resources are going south.There are other markets that will pay world price for all we can get on ships.

 

[Zipperfish]

Yeah, we're sure going to show them! :lol:

 

[BornRuff]

Harper has a past as a “quitter.” A quarter-century ago, you see, he quit Progressive Conservative staff work to become an opposition MP, then quit that job to head a think tank, then quit again to become a party leader.

He also quit, or dropped out, of U of T.

 

[lone wolf]

...and quit being a Young Liberal re Trudeau's NEP

 

[WLDB]

No one has a reason to quit while they are ahead. Thats why its called quit while you're ahead.

 

[Cliffy]

I didn't know Harpo was a head. What is his drug of choice?

 

[petros]

...and quit being a Young Liberal re Trudeau's NEP

Because his dad worked for Rockefeller's Imperial Oil Co.

 

[lone wolf]

I know that ... just wasn't the topic, so I left off with the "re"

 

[Liberalman]

Harper is stubborn as a mule which makes him Canada's biggest A$$

 

[Colpy]

Harper is stubborn as a mule which makes him Canada's biggest A$$

Naw.

Justin holds that title.

He inherited his father's love of communist murder-states, top-down rule, arrogance, and double-speak, along with his mother's intellect.......or lack thereof.

 

[tay]

Obummer is going to be some upset(well maybe not) when he finds out that it is his fault no more Canadian oil and other resources are going south.There are other markets that will pay world price for all we can get on ships.

You do understand that the whole controversy stems from the fact that the bitumen going South is just to refineries to be shipped elsewhere and not for American consumption.


The only thing that Keystone will do is simplify and speed up the process of moving the Oil..........

 

[Liberalman]

You do understand that the whole controversy stems from the fact that the bitumen going South is just to refineries to be shipped elsewhere and not for American consumption.


The only thing that Keystone will do is simplify and speed up the process of moving the Oil..........

You do understand that the Alberta oil-sands is a bottomless pit of oil and building refineries cost a lot so it is much cheaper and more profitable to ship the raw stuff abroad and when you look at it this is why Alberta is out of debt.

 

[BornRuff]

No one has a reason to quit while they are ahead. Thats why its called quit while you're ahead.

If he leaves now it wouldn't really look like he is quitting while he is ahead. It would look like he is leaving because of the numerous scandals that keep dogging him and his government.

 

[lone wolf]

Naw.

Justin holds that title.

He inherited his father's love of communist murder-states, top-down rule, arrogance, and double-speak, along with his mother's intellect.......or lack thereof.

Shouldn't he and Harper get on famously?

 

[BornRuff]

Naw.

Justin holds that title.

He inherited his father's love of communist murder-states, top-down rule, arrogance, and double-speak, along with his mother's intellect.......or lack thereof.

Funny to hear people criticize him for not taking a clear position on issues, yet also criticize him for views that he apparently doesn't have.

 

[pgs]

Funny to hear people criticize him for not taking a clear position on issues, yet also criticize him for views that he apparently doesn't have.

Well of course Trudeau does not have any views of his own. His bundlers and pollsters tell him what his views are .

 

[DaSleeper]

Well of course Trudeau does not have any views of his own. His bundlers and pollsters tell him what his views are .

Trudeau is very good in weathervane politics.............

 

[taxslave]

Trudeau is very good in weathervane politics.............

Which unfortunately are most often what gets one elected.